Bathtub adapting means



Aug. 6,1935. 6.5mm 2,010,791

BATHTUB ADAPTING MEANS Filed Feb. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY George Salgfir Mil Um 4L; ATTORNEY Aug. 6, 1935. G. SAKIER Mingus ADAPTING MEANS Filed Feb.v 5, 1954 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Gorge Sakier INVENTOR 41.; ATTORNEY w & na w ,7), M W V Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE g ra'rn'rua Ammo nmms 'George sum, New York, N. r, "a to no Accessories Company, Inc, New York, N. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application February 5,1934, Serial No. 709,700 12 Claims. (cl. 4-173) My invention relates to improvements in bath room furnishings and the same has for its ob- Ject the provision of simple, efficient and inexpensive means whereby bath rooms equipped with 5 old forms of bath tubs may be readily and conveniently modernized.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide means whereby it' becomes'possible to remove an old style or form of bath tub supported on iegs or feet and replace the same with a bath tub of the "apron type, without necessitating the tearing out of the old piping, and damaging the walls, floors, etc. of the bath room.

Further, said invention has for its object provide an adapting member or element in the form of a relatively shallow panel or casing which may be readily interposed between the rear and side edges of the bath tub, and the walls of the room adjacent thereto, and in which said panel or casing serves to receive and conceal the necessary piping.

Further, .said invention has for its object to provide an adapting member or element for the purposes specified whose front wall portion serves to accommodate the necessary valves, spout, grab bar, soap and sponge receptacles, and whose upper portion may serve as a shelf or support for bottles and other toilet articles or containers. 1 Further, said invention has for its object to so provide a construction of the character specified providing a fluid-tight joint between the upper rear and side edges of the bath tub and the adapting member; 4

other objects will in part be obvious and in part be hereinafter described.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my invention consists in the novel features of construction, and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more 40 fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a p rtion of a bath room and corner tub, and one form of adapting means, constructed according thereto;

Fig. '2 is a plan or top view; I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail front view, partly broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section, slightly in perspective, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing the construction .of the adapting member, and the securing means associated therewith, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a modlflcflfi tion, as seen from the rear of the tub.

to and embodying my said invention applied- In said drawings ll designates a corner bath tub of the well-known "apron" type comprising a receptacle portion ii, and front and end apron portions l2 and I3, respectively. The tub i0 is provided along its rear upper edge, and its righthand vertical edge with an enlarged rearwardly extending rim portion ll.

i5 denotes an adapting member in the form of a panel or hollow casing including a top I6, from whose forward edge depends a vertical front wall I1, and from whose rear edge depends a short, longitudinal flange It. The said adapting member is preferably made of sheet metal, and enameled, coated or otherwise decorated, as desired, and is supported in position with its flange portion l8 in engagement with the wall I! of the room, or other rigid vertical support.

23 denotes a relatively-narrow longitudinal strip or plate of metal or other suitable material which is secured horizontally adjacent to its up-. per and lower edges to a wall, studs or other vertical support by screws or nails 24. The said strip or plate is provided along its upper edge with an offset flange 25 to provide a longitudinal recess between its rear surface and the surface of the adjacent wall which longitudinal recess is adapted to receive the depending flange iii of the adapting member I! whereby to support said adapting member and hold the upper rear edge thereof in close engagement with the wall.

2' denotes a sheet metal angular member comprising a. flat, horizontal intermediate portion 21 having an upwardly-extending flange 28 along its rear edge, and a depending substantially V- shape portion 29 along its forward edge. The said member 26 is secured to the flange i4 along the rear edge of the tub and to the strip or plate 23 by one or more clamping members 30. Each clamping member 3| comprises a vertical wall portion 3i having a short, forwardly extending flange Ola. along its upper edge, and an upwardly and forwardly-inclined flange 3") along its lower edge. The flange illa serves as a finger piece or grip to facilitate the drawing up of the clamp to bring the inclined flange 3| b into engagement with the underside of the rim ll of the tub preparatory to securing the parts together bythe screws 32. The flanges Sia and lib are adapted vto receive between the same the enlarged por- 33 denotes a finishing strip or molding having rear and bottom sides 34, 35, respectively, arranged at right angles to each other, and a rounded or other form of outer face 36. The strip 33 is preferably formed of pliable metal, suchv as white metal or any suitable alloy which is pliable, to permit of its being shaped to the contour of the tub, and is provided with a longitudinal slot 34a which extends inwardly at an angle of approximately 45 from the Junction of its side and bottom to receive the forward free edge of the V-shape portion 29 of the member 26. The forward edge of said V-shape portion may be fluted, serrated or otherwise treated to insure a firm anchorage when the edges of said strip 33 at each side of the slot 34 are pressed together and into engagement with the free edge of said V-shape portion 29. One strip 33 may extend longitudinally across the back of the tub and down along its exposed end, and a separate strip 33 extend along the top and front edges of the left-hand end of the top of the tub.

When the finishing strip or moulding 33 is duly secured to the clamped edge of the member 29, a horizontal space or recess will be provided between the vertical rear side of said strip or molding 33 and the vertically-extending portion of the V-shape member 29 to receive the lower edge of the wall portion ll of the adapting member IS. The arrangement and relation of said recess and the lower edge of said wall portion I1 is such that a limited vertical movement of the tub "I and molding 33 secured thereto may take place. due to settling of the tub or the floor, without causing the lower edge of said wall portion to become disengaged from said recess. between the rear of the V-shape portion 29 and the forwardly-inclined portion of the rim I4 may, when desired, be filled with a suitable cement 31.

The space within the hollow panel or casing I5 is designed to receive the water supply, waste and vent pipes, and the front wall of said panel or casing I5 is suitably apertured to permit of the attachment of the bath tub fixtures, i. e., valves 4| and spout 42 to said pipes, and also to receive the soap receptacle 43 and the sponge receptacle 44, and the grab bar 45.

In the modification illustrated at Fig. 5, the bath tub and the adapting means including the member l5, and the molding strip 33 are the same as in the main construction. The'channelv member 26a in the present construction has a downwardly extending flange 28a which engages with the rear edges of the rim M of the tub, and is secured thereto at intervals by angular clamps 46 and screws 41. The upper portion of the adapting member i 5 is secured in position by a vertical bracket 48 having a horizontal upper portion 49 engagingwith the underside of the top l6 of the member IS. The portion 49 terminates in an offset end 50 secured to the wall by a screw or other fastening means extending through the aperture 5| in said ofiset end. In the space provided by the offset end 50 the depending flange i8 at the upper rear edge of the top 16 is disposed, and the lower end of the bracket 48 which terminates in a foot 52 is secured to the floor by a screw 53 passing through the same.

While I have shown the panels or casings l5 as extend upwardly to any height desired, even to The space the adapting members 15, and the connecting means therefor as applied to the back and one end of the tub, it will, of course, be understood that the same may be applied at all of the bounding edges of a tub, depending upon its construction, i. e., the number of sides or ends of the tub which are to remain exposed.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a panel member adapted to be disposed along the edges of the'tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, means for supporting said panel member, a member. disposed along the edges of the tub contiguous to the inner edge of said panel member, and a finshing strip secured to said last-named member and conforming to the contour of the tub.

2. A bath tub adapter'casing comprising a panel member adapted. to be disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, means for supporting said-panel member, a member disposed along the edges of the tub contiguous to the inner edge of said panel member, and a pliable finishing strip secured to said last-named member and conforming to the contour of the tub.

3. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a panel member adapted to be disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room,

means for supporting said panel member, a member disposed along the edges of the tub contiguous to the inner edge of said panel member, and a finishing strip formed of pliable metal secured to said last-named member and conforming to the contour of the tub.

4. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a'panel member adapted to be disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, means for supporting said panel member, and anchoring member, clamping means for securing said anchoring member to the edge of the tub; 45 said anchoring member engaging the inner edge of said panel member and having a forwardly extending edge, and a finishing strip secured to the forward edge ofsaid anchoring member and engaging the adjacent outer sides of said tub and the front wall of said panel member.

5. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a panel member adapted to be disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, means for supporting said panel member, an anchoring member disposed along the edges of the tub contiguous to the inner edge of said panel member, means for securing said anchoring member to said tub and the wall, and a finishing strip secured to the edge of said anchoring member and engaging the outer sides of said tub and the front wall of said panel member.

6. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a hollow member having a tub-receiving cut-out portion and adapted tobe disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, a. flanged member, "an anchoring member engaging the edges of the tub and adapted to engage the inner edge of said hollow member, said flanged member and said anchoring member receiving therebetween' the edge of the tub, means for securing said flanged member and said anchoring member together, and a finish ing strip having a longitudinal slot therein; the 75 s a 8,016,701 forward edgeofsaldanchorlngmemberex- .tendingintotheslotinsaidfinishingstrlpand 1- theouter-sides or said tub and the member.

wall of said hollow member. LA bath tuhadapter-casing comprising a hollow, sheet metal member adapted to be disposed along the edges oi-the tub lying adjacent to thewalls oi aroom, a longitudinal plate se-- curedtothewallforsupportingtheupperend of said hollow memher,--an anchoring-member engaglngtheuppersideotthetubadiacentto 8.1L bathtubadaptercasing comprising a hollow, sheetmetalmember adapted to be dis.- posedalong-theedgesoithetublyingadjaoent tothewallsofaroomalongitudinalplate secured'tothewallhavinganoilset upper edge to secure and support the upper end of said member, an anchoring member engaging the upper side or the tub and adapted to enga e the inner edge of said hollow member; said an choring member having an upwardly extending corrugated flange, and .a pliable, transversely compressible metal finishing strip having a longitudinal slot; the forward corrugated edge of said anchoring member extending into the slot in said finishing ip, and the angular lacu of said finishing strip engaging the upper. side or said tub and the front wall of said hollow member, a longitudinal member, having a tor-- wardly and upwardly inclined flange along its lower edge the underside a the tub finishing strip of pliable material having a ion-- adjacent to the edges thereof, means for secur-' ing said anchoring member and said longitudinal member togetherend to said longitudinal plate. g

9. A bath tub adapter casing comprising a hollow, sheet metal member including a top and a front wall and having a cut out portion to te aliath tub, adapted to be disposed alongtheedgesotthetublyingadjacenttothe wallsot a room, a longitudinal plate fixedly secured to the wall having anoilset longitudinal upper edge to receive and support the upper end ot said hollow member, horizontal and 'ver prising a otthetubcontiguoustotheinneredge-otsaid hollow member, means for securing the ends of said anchoring members together with their ends in spaced relation, means for securing said anchoring members to the edges of said tub, and a finishing strip having'angular under 'andrear faces and a longitudinal slot extending diagonally into said strip; the forward edge of each anohoring'member being corrugated and extending into the slot in'said finishing strip, and

outer sides ofsaidtub and the tront wall or said hollow member.

10. a bathtub adapter casing comprising a hollow, sheet metal member'having a cutout be disposed along the edges of the tub lying adjacent to the walls of a room, brackets for suptheangulariacesolsaidstripengagin thr.

portion to accommodate a bath tub, adaptedto1 porting said hollow m'ember, horizontal and vertica'l anchoring members embracing the edges of the tub and adapted to engage theinner edge or said-hollow member along said cutout portion, means for securing'the ends of said anchoring members together with their ends. in spaced relation, means for securing said anchoring members to .the edges of said tub, and

a finishing strip having angular under andrrearraces and a longitudinal slot extending diagonally into said strip; the forward edge of each anchoring member extending into the slot in said finishing strip, and the angular faces 0! said strip engaging the outer sides of said tub and the front wall of said member.

11. A device of the character described com- Y prising 'an' anchoring member adapted to engage certain of the edges ot'a bath tub or analogous structure and having an outwardly directed flange, a panel member having the inner edge thereot engaging said anchoring member, and a gitudi'nal groove therein to receive said flange andicapable otbeingcompressed into firm en gagement therewith and with the contiguous 7 surfaces of the tub and panel member.-

12. A device of the'character described m longitudinal anchoring member" adapted to be engaged with the edge 0!. a bath tub. or analogous structure and having an angularly related edge portion forming a longitudinal recess therein, a panel member adapted to be secured to the contiguouswall portion and havmg the inner edge thereof extending into said recess, and a finishing strip of pliable material having a slit therein receivingsaid angularly related'edge portion and a plurality of sides arranged at an angle to each other for engagement with the contiguous surfaces .0! the tub and panel member. r

. GEORGE SAKIER. 

